Scarred
by eternallydaydreaming
Summary: Prompto is faced with a demon from his past putting him at odds with Ignis.


Scarred

"Ooooi!" Prompto stretched his arms up as if the vertical extension would shift his slightly distended belly. Lowering his arms back down, he rested one hand on his abdomen and rubbed the little bulge. The greasy food churned his stomach angrily yet the meal still satisfied his craving for the popular skewered meat the street vendors of Lestallum enticed them with.

However, the heaviness weighed down his feet as he and Noctis made their way back to the Leville.

"That really did hit the spot. We need Ignis to try that. You think he can figure out what spices they use in the kebabs?"

"Probably," Noctis walked up the stone steps of the town center, pacing more briskly as if the meal did not affect him. "Ignis always had a refined palate. We used to play a game where I'd blindfold him and make him eat crazy things, and he had to identify them. He was pretty good at the game except that time when he threw a fit after I made him try Garula balls. Though I'm not sure if it was because I made him eat balls or that he thought it was chicken."

An amused chuckle escaped Prompto's lips as he imagined what the young Ignis may have been like, which turned out to be a miniaturized version of the man he knew now. After entering the hotel, the duo ascended the steps. As they neared the second floor, a sweet scent permeated the air and intensified as they approached their room. Noctis's eyes widened in anticipation as if he recognized the freshly bake aroma. The young prince couldn't pull out the room key fast enough but managed to regain some composure so that he would not barge through the door like an undisciplined child.

Upon entering the room, a big waft of warm pastry and cream invaded Prompto's nose; his mouth watered instantly. His eyes landed on the table, which held a tray of large circular, flaky pastries filled with a smooth, white cream. Gladio's mouth puffed out as he worked the large bite he took out of his own pastry; bits of brown flakes clung to the corner of his mouth. Prompto couldn't quite place it but the treats seemed familiar. It wasn't until Noctis slowly inspected one of the pastries that Prompto remembered where he had seen the dessert.

"Oh! I haven't seen these in forever." Three years did feel like forever. "Weren't these the pastries you used to eat in high school, Noct?"

Noctis nodded his response as he studied the cream filled, pastry bowl. "These have been a pet project for Ignis ever since I told him about my favorite dessert from Tenebrae." Taking a bite, Noctis carefully chewed, allowing his taste buds to analyze the flavor. Ignis only patiently watched Noctis stoic countenance during his evaluation.

"Well?" Ignis inquired.

"Not quite," Noctis concluded, not that it stopped him from licking the central filling.

Prompto inhaled deeply finally able to pinpoint one of the familiar scents. "Mmm, banana," he whispered.

"Want one?" Noctis offered a fresh pastry. "You used steal half of these whenever I brought them to school."

A blush crept across his cheeks as he recalled how greedily he used to devour them as if someone would steal them away. His stomach begged for one though his mind reprimanded him having such desires for the ambrosia. Such a gift from the gods should have been labeled as a sin.

"Nah," he declined then playfully pat his belly. "Besides Ignis is always on our case to watch what we eat. No need to put on unnecessary pounds."

"Nonsense," Ignis chimed in. "A once in a while treat will do no harm lest you should develop a habit of constantly neglecting nutrition."

While Ignis shot a glare at the vegetable-hating prince, Prompto lowered his gaze to hide his own shame. Long car rides always seemed to induce hunger pains and with a diner at nearly any rest stop, the temptation for fried, fast food was hard to escape. The buzz kill came whenever Ignis snarked out his reminder that such meals held no health benefit - just empty calories. Of course if they "cared to gain weight," then he would not stop them.

"Besides," Ignis continued as he approached him and gently poked Prompto in the stomach. "You look as though you could afford a bit more meat on your bones."

Prompto flinched as a chill ran through his body. He stared cautiously at the dessert yet made no move to pick one up.

"You'd be missing out," Gladio insisted. "We're not likely to have a treat like this for a long time… _if_ we get another opportunity."

A shaky hand reached for a pastry on the tray. Holding it close to his face, Prompto studied the light, buttery flakes while the cream screamed "eat me!" Releasing a reluctant sigh, Prompto stated "cheers" before biting through the crust.

. . .

Stepping out of the shower, Prompto ran his hand over the foggy mirror. The battle waged between him and the hot air as the fog insisted on clinging to the glass. Triumph was declared once a clear reflection stared back at him. Watching at himself, he ran the towel over his body. He quickly rubbed over his shoulders and chest. As the towel reached his stomach, he slowed the motion as if somehow the scrubbing would aggravate his stretch marks. Even though they had faded over time from deep purple grooves to pale rivets, the story of his past was forever carved into his body. Tears stung his eyes as he glared at the wrinkled stripes. He pinched the flap of extra skin between his index finger and thumb as he recalled Noctis's words.

" _Heavy!"_

Streams trailed down his cheeks as he regretfully thought, _I shouldn't have eaten the sweets…_

 _. . ._

Propping his arm on the side of the Regalia, Prompto rested his head against his hand and watched the landscape speed by. Once in a while he would lazily raise his camera and snap a picture, but his heart just wasn't into it. At least it occupied his time. Throughout the ride he kept his back turned to Ignis, refusing to acknowledge the older man's presence. Even when they pulled over, Prompto cautiously avoided eye contact and only spoke when a response was required. As they neared the campsite, Prompto frowned at the prospect of being locked in close quarters with very few opportunities to distract himself.

Fortunately the campsite set up kept them all busy enough. Gladio solicited Prompto's help in erecting the tent while Noctis aided with the dinner preparations. While sitting around the campfire, Prompto stared at the food in front of him, playing with the items more than eating them. From his peripheral vision, he caught Ignis frowning at him. Prompto reluctantly shoved a spoonful of rice into his mouth, choking down the grains. In between bites, Prompto took part in the friendly banter about the day's events although his jolliness was greatly mellowed. Conversing did help to pace himself throughout dinner although he actually would have preferred to secretly dump his leftovers behind a bush. Finding no way to effectively carry out such a plan, Prompto suffered through the endeavor, being the last to finish his dinner.

Finally settling in for the night, the men crammed into the small tent. Supposed to fit six people his ass. Gladio took up enough room for two people, and his deep snores didn't exactly arouse a proper nighttime ambiance. At least Noctis was quiet; however he had the tendency to stretch and kick in his sleep, accustomed to occupying his bed to maximum capacity. Even after all the tenants feel into deep slumber as indicated by their deep breathing, Prompto tossed and turned. Sweat dripped down his body, soaking his tee shirt. His soft bangs now clung heavily to his forehead. The thick humid air coupled with the body heat proved too suffocating for him. Remembering the river the flowed nearby, Prompto dragged himself out of the tent and headed down the hill. As he approached the riverbed, Prompto stripped off his drenched shirt. Bending down, he cupped water with both his hands and splashed it onto his face. Then he wiped the cool water over his chest, arms, and the back of his neck. Finding some relief, Prompto leaned back against his arms and admired the star-filled sky.

"We have a long day tomorrow. It would be wise to rest."

Prompto nearly screamed. How was it possible that he had not heard any bushes rustling, grass crunching, or twigs snapping? Scrambling to his feet, Prompto searched frantically for his shirt despite being blinded by Ignis's flashlight. In the end it proved a futile venture as Ignis offered the missing shirt back to him. Wordlessly, Prompto snatched the shirt back and quickly threaded his limbs their respective openings. His pale cheeks turned rosy as his face heated up under Ignis's studious gaze. Why was he out here anyway?

"Noctis said I had crossed a line yesterday," Ignis informed him as if reading Prompto's mind. "He told me I owed you an apology."

"For what exactly?" Prompto probed, unsure of how much Noctis would have mentioned. For a long time, Prompto didn't even think Noctis had remembered him from elementary school. After their rooftop conversation about their childhood, Prompto realized that Noctis actually had recognized him.

Ignis pushed his glasses against the bridge of his nose as he contemplated his response. "He informed me that I should not have pushed you when you had declined the dessert. Noct did not give details as to why but…" He paused perhaps afraid to overstep his bounds again.

Self-consciously, Prompto placed a protective hand over his abdomen. Ignis lowered his gaze as to not stare at him, inadvertently making Prompto more uncomfortable.

"Your scars…"

"Stretchmarks," Prompto corrected. "You can call them what they are."

Ignis only silently made eye contact with him again and waited to see if Prompto would continue.

"I had a bit of thing for junk food when I was a kid. My parents weren't around much so it was easy to pick up fatty fast food to take home after school. Burgers were my favorite," a slight playful tone leaked through as he reminisced. "I wasn't an athletic kid so all that food went straight to my hips, and my legs, and my butt, but mostly to my belly. I was never comfortable with my weight. I was the slow kid in gym class, always picked last because of it. The first time I tried to introduce myself to Noct I had tripped. He tried to help me up and mentioned how heavy I was. Made me feel crappy honestly but it somehow motivated me. I started to work out - began running every day. It was years of hard work to lose all that weight. I'm actually surprised Noct recognized me when we met up in high school. Since then I've been sensitive about what I should eat. I've read that people who diet fall into traps where they end up reverting to their old habits and gain back the weight they lost. I'm always afraid of that happening. You're right about the once in a while indulgence doesn't hurt, but I'm a sucker for good food and earlier in the day I already pigged out so I felt guilty eating the dessert. I only ate it because I didn't want to hurt your feelings since you worked so hard to bake for us. Honestly, I rely on your forcing us to eat healthy. I kind of appreciate the nagging."

"I see," Ignis acknowledged followed by several quiet, contemplative seconds. "Prompto, if you like, I can assist in balancing your meals so you can enjoy the occasional treat without letting the guilt eat at you."

Prompto wanted to shoot him a disapproving glare at the bad pun; instead his heart melted at the nurturing offer.

"Okay, but no more bad puns."

"That I cannot guarantee," Ignis smirked, slapping Prompto lightly on the arm. "I can, however, promise healthy options and subtle reminders."

Smiling shyly, Prompto nodded his gratitude. During their walk back, Prompto thought about what local flavors they may encounter as they continued their journey. It looks as though Prompto will be able to have his cake and eat it after all.


End file.
